Vintage Camera Collection

Yashica Y16

The Yashica Y16 is a very well built and capable camera. Its poor sales were due primarily to the proprietary cassette system that was dropped on Yashica’s later 16mm cameras.

The camera came in several color combinations all gray with accent colors. I have Aqua, Gold, Gray, Red, and Blue. Those still missing from the collection are Orange and possible variations on the blue and gray ones.

The Y16’s shutter has a neat setting, “S“. From the manual:

“When the Shutter Speed Dial is set at “S”, the fine metal plane shutter of the YASHICA Y16 offers variable slow shutter speed and ‘Time’ setting, with its double tension action Shutter Release Button. If the Shutter Release Button is depressed to the bottom in one gentle continuous action, shutter speed will be about 1/10 of a second. Thus, variable slow shutter speeds are possible by the pressure application and time lag between the first and second tension on the button. For ‘Time’, the pressure on the button is removed after the shutter blades are open and then re-applied after the required exposure is made.”

The Y16 uses reloadable cartridges that allow for swapping of the film while losing only one frame.

Kodak Plus-X and Kodachrome were available.

Their proprietary nature limited acceptance and sales of the Y16.

Clip-on filters were also available for the Y16.

Full Y-16 kit, including film reloader.

Make

Yashica

Model

Y16

Year

1959

Format

16mm

Shutter

Focal plane

Speed

S, 1/25 – 1/300

Lens

Yashinon

f3.5 25mm

Focus

fixed (~4ft@f16)

Aperture

f3.5 to 16

Light Meter

No

Rangefinder

No

Here are some of the documents that came with my blue Y16 along with some notes from a previous owner.